


It's High Time to Set the World on Fire

by orphan_account



Category: Dead Man on Campus (1998)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Canon Rewrite, Childhood Trauma, Developing Relationship, Drug Use, Fire Powers, Hearing Voices, Implied/Referenced Animal Death, M/M, POV First Person, Stalking, Suicide, Time Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:20:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22746181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Cooper has one last chance to make things right as a troubled college student, but one particular freshman unknowingly holds the potential to make or break him. With his repressed pyrokinetic and time stopping powers bubbling beneath the surface, breaking him is the last thing anyone should do, whether by accident or on purpose. Regardless, he won't allow anyone to get in the way of his goals this time; not even himself.
Relationships: Cooper Frederickson/Josh Miller
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I was watching a B-movie called Specimen the other day (skip it, it's not good at all) and liked how Mark-Paul Gosselaar's character had a poorly controlled case of pyrokinetic abilities. I was curious about extending this power to other characters he has played, especially Cooper. I was also playing with the idea of writing an unofficial novelization of Dead Man on Campus and those two ideas just ended up becoming the story you're about to read. I was initially going to have Cooper only be capable of pyrokinesis, but then I learned that Zack Morris just casually has time stopping powers in a non sci-fi narrative. That's fucking nuts and I love it, so I gave Cooper this ability as well. I think it'll make for an interesting interplay of powers.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this sordid pipe dream of a fic. I know I'm having a blast writing it.

Fuck me, I can’t believe there’s already just three days to go before I have to go back to college. Flushles the Clown is gonna have me scrape the shit crust from his building’s toilets with my fingernails if I don’t get it together this time around. I don’t even know what I want to do with my life, let alone if I wanna keep living it.

Settle down, Coop. Thinking like that won’t get you anywhere. Just relax... There’s no one at home, you’re high but you’re still stressed... No better time than now to meditate, so let’s get to work. I walk to my closet and bring out four lavender scented candles to place on my Persian rug.

Alright, so my old man Flushles and I have always disagreed on just about everything. Drinking hard liquor on weekday nights, playing bloody video games until I fall asleep in front of the TV, bribing anyone with a pulse to get errands off my back, shit like that. Don't even get me started on him when I was in my black magic phase in high school. It's still a part of me, actually, and he'd freak if he learned that I never stopped shopping at Spencer’s. Besides, I think learning how to use tarot cards might help me get my shit together or even get me laid some more.

After setting the last candle around the rug, I light all four of them in one go. I could have gone for the lighter, but it's all the way in my nightstand drawer and the whole process would take too much effort. Besides, Flushles has a sixth sense for knowing when it's been used. But speaking of him and fire, that's one thing that never fails to lead to a fistfight between us.

Back in the fifth grade, on a sick day, Mom told me how this all started. She explained to me why I suddenly had this nasty fever when I was usually as healthy as healthy can be, partially thanks to Dad's dozens of supplements that he insisted I take daily. See, I was already starting to rebel against him at the time. I'd skip classes, swim team meets and my supplement intake almost regularly because I didn't want those things in my life anymore. But I needed them, as it turned out. She told me that me being unproductive and ungrateful weren't the only things getting to him when it came to my behavior. Deep inside, apparently, he was scared shitless of my potential to kill myself, him, Mom and just about everyone else in the neighborhood by accident.

Mom said that when I was younger, things and people could catch fire when I was sad, angry or scared. Fortunately, it was mostly unimportant objects, but it got drastic sometimes. It seems like she only had the heart to tell me about three serious incidents: torching a cat to death at a birthday party because it frightened me, burning one of my cousins on Christmas for breaking my new toys and nearly setting Flushles’ study in flames after he caught me reading his porno mags there. I remember that last one and I wish I didn’t. Maybe I wouldn’t be so scared of libraries if I blocked it out like those other memories.

I grab the remote to my stereo and play some ambient music to set the mood. Hey, wait up. I’m home alone. That means... I can finally experience what it’s like to meditate high and naked! God, I bet it fucking rules. I take my clothes off and toss them in the corner of my room before sitting down on the rug. I remove my glasses, close my eyes and start taking deep breaths.

Anyway, my fever came about because I wasn’t swimming as much and taking my supplements, so my body was overheating as weeks went by. Mom helped me let loose that day by lighting up the fireplace with all of my pent up heat. I felt safer that day, more loved than I ever was. Even then, I still had this one wish that was eating away at my heart and mind. I wanted more control of my life. I wanted to be able to prevent terrible events from happening like the ones I caused.

That’s when the fire started whispering to me. It was telling me to declare a timeout. I tried to ignore it, deny its existence, but it was yelling at me, louder and louder, louder than my father ever was when he yelled at me. I definitely remember crying when I screamed “Time out!” for the first time and the universe listened to me. I ran upstairs to my room and locked myself inside. I don’t remember how long that lasted, but I was relieved when I finally figured out how to make time flow normally again.

Everyone at school laughed when I decided that my senior quote in high school would be “You never forget your first mental breakdown.” Who, me? Cooper Frederickson, the ultimate party animal who screwed around with black magic in the tenth grade? Impossible. Someone as charming and cunning as me couldn’t possibly be broken. This semester, I intend to keep the lie alive.

“Cooper!”

Great, it’s Flushles. I didn’t even hear him come in. At this point, I’m convinced that all of us Fredericksons have a couple of weird powers of our own.

“What, Dad?”

“Why the hell are you nak-- Who the hell do you think you are?”

I open my eyes and see his usual theatrical disgust, even through my blurry vision. “I don’t know, Ram Dass? I mean, he was a Harvard professor and psychedelics never stopped him from--”

“Wait, _psychedelics?_ Oh, you son of a-- Look, just turn all of that off, get dressed and start preparing yourself for school, alright?!”

“But I’m undeclared!”

We both growl at each other before he leaves my room and closes the door. This is gonna be rough, but I won’t let anything stop me this time. I’m going to get good grades, still keep my powers under control and party harder than I ever have.

**I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Cooper.**

**Yeah, no shit! How the hell are you gonna do all of that? You can’t even shut us up!**

“Watch me.”

I smile at my embers before blowing them out.


	2. Zeke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I just learned that there actually is a novelization for this movie already. Copping that for sure in the near future.

At last, Casa del Cooper has been restored to its former glory. I kiss my gloriously huge novelty bong and place it on the floor before looking out the window at the campus grounds below me. The leaves are blowing as they should and the place is crawling with potential friends, enemies and one night stands of variable quality.

Ah, Daleman... How I missed you. Cute how you thought you’d seen the last of me. You’re a bitch, but I’m the parasite that can’t get enough of your bittersweet blood.

I stretch as loudly and obnoxiously as I can, forcing the student body to take a look at the most glorious student body on campus. I’ve been doing yoga, playing soccer and honestly, I never stopped swimming. It’s just the routine of meeting with the team that got on my nerves back then. Hm. No one’s looking up at me. Don’t they miss me, too?

Okay... So nobody wants to see how great my abs look. That’s fine, but now I’m bored as hell. What now?

A small flame materializes in my right hand.

**Let’s make some mischief.**

“Meh. Maybe later.”

**How about some new friends? You could get the party rolling and set it off here later tonight.**

“Not bad, not bad...”

**The door over there’s locked. Why don’t you sneak in and see what your new roomie’s up to? If there’s nothing good, then you might at least get some blackmail material on him!**

Oh, yeah. “I like the sound of that.”

“What, the sound of your own voice? What the fuck are you doing, man? Are you crazy?”

Company already? I wonder if he’s going to live with me. I quickly snap my fingers and my fire turns to smoke.

“Kinda. Not many people can tell because I’m always in an altered state. Live hard or don’t live at all, right?”

The guy gives me a goofy smile before sniffing the air. “You know it, pal. Hey, is there a fire in here or...?”

Shit. Shit. Uh... I point at the bong I left in the corner of the room. When I look back at him, he’s got a huge grin on his face, baggie in hand.

“Yes! My man! You’re coming over to my dorm with that thing right now. I’m gonna round up a couple of my new friends so we can all be tight neighbors, alright?”

"Sounds like a plan to me. Only things better than tight neighbors are tight women, I always say!"

I have never said anything like that in my entire life. I've never even heard my uncle Curtis call anyone "tight neighbors" and he keeps getting arrested for breaking and entering his female neighbors... and their homes. Anyway, I click my tongue and point finger guns at the guy, hoping that he doesn’t see the vapor rising from one of them. God, this shit burns! My jaw clenches as my foot bounces in the hopes of easing the pain.

“You, uh... You alright there? I’ve got laxatives, too, if you want some later.”

“What? No! Are you h... Oh. Duh.”

The smug bastard sticks his tongue out and motions for me to follow him.

* * *

It’s getting dark outside. Time to raise a little hell in here. I get up from my bed and start hunting down my new friends so we can get something happening.

Alright, so there’s Zeke from earlier with his stash of strains I’ve never heard of... If he doesn’t start pushing some crazy shit on the guests, then he’s still cool with me. I want to stay cool with him, because he’s got a Genesis and I forgot how fun Comix Zone was to play. Then there’s his friends Mark and Jerry, then their friends, then the dumpy kid with the blender and those three girls I met together at the bar, then their friends and the guys I saw sleeping outside the same bar and bla bla bla, holy shit, this is going to be one hell of a return to form.

I get dressed in one of the many sharp outfits that I bought over the summer, but with some comfortable clothes thrown in the mix in the tragic case that I don’t get to fuck anyone tonight and need emergency pajamas to cry myself to sleep in. I open my mini fridge, finish an entire bottle of water and get to work.


End file.
